• About Champions
    • Nominate a Champion
    • Circle of Champions
    • FAQ
    • Find Other Events
  • About Best Buddies
  • RSVP
  • Donate
    • Support a Champion
    • General Event Donation
  • Login
Best Buddies ChampionBest Buddies Champion
Best Buddies ChampionBest Buddies Champion
  • About Champions
    • Nominate a Champion
    • Circle of Champions
    • FAQ
    • Find Other Events
  • About Best Buddies
  • RSVP
  • Donate
    • Support a Champion
    • General Event Donation
  • Login

Champion of the Year: Central Illinois

unites and recognizes the community’s most active leaders in the name of inclusion.

Friday, October 7, 2022

6:00 – 10:00 PM | Peoria, IL

  • 0 days
  • 0 hours
  • 0 minutes
  • 0 seconds

Best Buddies Champion of the Year is a competitive fundraising campaign that unites and recognizes the communities most active leaders of inclusion. Champion Candidates commit to raising funds and awareness for Best Buddies over an 8-12 week campaign. Our Champions are advocates for the Best Buddies mission and will generate countless opportunities for friendships, jobs, leadership development and inclusive living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). At the campaign’s conclusion, we will celebrate at the Best Buddies Champion of the Year Gala to honor the Champions’ collective impact and name the ultimate Champion of the Year!

You can support Best Buddies and continue to provide these meaningful opportunities to people with IDD by becoming a Champion, supporting a Champion’s campaign, purchasing tickets, becoming a corporate sponsor, or making a general donation to the cause. We hope you’ll join the movement!

RSVP

Donate

Schedule

Friday, October 7, 2022

6PM-10PM

Location

The Warehouse on State Street
736 SW Washington St.
Peoria, IL 61602

Event Contact

RyanLacosse@bestbuddies.org

Meet our 2022 Champion Candidates…

Nominate a Champion

Megan Cipolla talks into a microphone at the Best Buddies Champion of the Year Central Illinois Event

Congrats to our 2021 Central Illinois Champion of the Year

 

Megan Cipolla

Raised $19,820 in donations and awareness for Best Buddies in Central Illinois

 

Click here for our Nationwide Champion Winners

A Glimpse of the Party…

  • Enthusiastic Best Buddy participant at podium giving a speech
  • Male Buddy Pair at podium giving a speech
  • Group of three gala attendees smiling for the camera
  • Gala attendees holding up auction bid signs
  • Group of gala attendee smiling for the camera
  • Female champion candidate standing next to her campaign manager
  • Female Buddy Pair on stage with their hands in the air in celebration
  • Best Buddies participant in formal attire and sunglasses striking a pose
Best Buddies logo

Why Participate...

All funds raised benefit Best Buddies – the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the 200 million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Our programs empower the special abilities of people with IDD by helping them form meaningful friendships with their peers, secure successful jobs, live independently, improve public speaking, self-advocacy and communication skills, and feel valued by society.

The IDD community that Best Buddies serves includes, but is not limited to, people with Down Syndrome, Autism, Fragile X, Williams Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injury and other undiagnosed disabilities.

Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
Find Other Champion Events
Learn About Best Buddies

We Love our Sponsors!

Title Sponsor

The Yard Logo

For sponsorship opportunities and other event inquiries, please contact:

RyanLaCosse@bestbuddies.org
309.531.7700